Gardening Expert Promotes Composting

A nationally-known gardener is visiting Halifax this week. Mark Cullen appears regularly on TV and radio across Canada. He will give a presentation -- A Celebration of the Garden -- to support the Halifax Public Gardens on Wednesday, April 21.

Mr. Cullen is a long-time member of the Composting Council. "To feed our plants, we need to feed the soil," he said. "By applying compost to the soil, we provide the nutrients that our plants need to grow and thrive."

Environment and Labour Minister Kerry Morash welcomed the visit. "Composting is a key component of our waste-resource management strategy," he explained "Mr. Cullen's message will help support our efforts to encourage backyard composting."

Nova Scotia's waste-resource management strategy has become world famous. More than half of the material once buried in landfills is now being recycled and composted. Putting organic material into landfills leads to problems with toxic leachates (a chemical-laden liquid that results from the decomposition of organic materials) and greenhouse gasses. "Our efforts to encourage composting have turned that liability into an asset...compost" Mr. Morash said.

Susan Antler, executive director of the Composting Council of Canada, praised the Nova Scotia and Halifax Regional Municipality composting programs. "Nova Scotia has led the nation in its efforts to promote composting," she said. "Nova Scotia's programs and experiences serve as a standard for others to strive for."

Mr. Cullen's talk will be held at 7 p.m. at the Westin Nova Scotian Hotel, 1181 Hollis St., Halifax. Admission is free, but donations to the Public Gardens Foundation will be accepted at the door. His visit is sponsored, in part, by Nova Scotia Environment and Labour and the Composting Council of Canada.